Doc resigns from Sion Hospital’s transplant panel

Doc resigns from Sion Hospital’s transplant panelMUMBAI: The Mumbai Urological Society decided late on Thursday that they will stop performing organ transplants in the city with immediate effect. The urologists, who carry out transplant surgeries, want the state to provide clarity on the duties of a doctor as well as the fast release of medical practitioners arrested in connection with the kidney racket.

During the day, one of the city's foremost nephrologists and transplant physicians, Dr Viswanath Billa, resigned from the BMC-run Sion Hospital in the wake of the events since the unearthing of the racket. The medical fraternity has been in protest mode since the arrest of five doctors associated with Hiranandani Hospital, Powai.

"Many more doctors will move away from the programme. What choice do we have after all?" said urologist Dr Jackie Lalmalani. Dr Billa, who is credited with performing the state's first cadaver kidney transplantation, has been driving the BMC-run hospital's kidney transplant programme since 2009.

"He has rendered his services to the hospital without expecting or getting any remuneration. He was available 24X7, which is essential for running a successful transplant programme. The programme at Sion Hospital is going to be adversely affected and we regret that patients will be inconvenienced," said Dr Ajit Sawant, professor and head of urology at Sion Hospital. Dr Billa did not wish to speak about his resignation.

Dr Lalmalani said government and police action forced them to take the decision to stop transplants. "The decision is unanimous. Doctors are humiliated and treated like criminals. Is it fair? What tools do doctors have to check the veracity of documents?"

A senior doctor from KEM Hospital said that over 400 transplants in the city will suffer if nephrologists and urologists decide to stop performing them. "The police should have arrested the doctors only after they had some concrete proof."

Only in India the healthcare financing is very small when compared to the financing by the other forces rather than the patient himself or herself paying out of pocket. Having 70-75% of the expenses as out-of-pocket, in my opinion, is not a right approach to managing healthcare in a country where the patients tend to sub-optimally purchase healthcare if he/she has to pay out-of-pocket.